Sundown: Orthodox “Rabba” Not Universally Beloved

Plus a new music school, a ‘Housewives’ spat, and more

• Sara Hurwitz, the first female Orthodox rabbi—or “rabba”—has become the center of a growing schism over women’s roles in the movement. [WSJ]

• Move over Mamma Mia! A school for religious musicians will open in Israel and is already considering a “rock opera based on the life story of Rabbi Nachman from Breslev.” [Ynet]

• The South African Jewish Board of Deputies has announced that Richard Goldstone will be attending his grandson’s bar mitzvah after all, and “requests…that all parties immediately desist all public activities on this matter.” We certainly hope to. [SA Times]

• A reminder that Iran doesn’t have a monopoly on all the wingnuts when it comes to explaining natural phenomena: Back in 2008, an Israeli politician blamed gays for recent quakes. [Haaretz]

• Is NYC really not big enough for the Bravo’s two biggest Jewish drama queens? [AOL]

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“A reminder that Iran doesn’t have a monopoly on all the wingnuts when it comes to explaining natural phenomena: Back in 2008, an Israeli politician blamed gays for recent quakes.”

Why compare Benizri to the scary Iranian ayatolas? Wasn’t there a closer, more plausible kind of analogy to compare him to, like Pat Robertson? But apparently it is easier for someone by the (Ashkenazi) name of Hurwitz to associate a Jew with the Mizrahi name of “Benizri” with an Iranian wingnut than with an outlandish religious leader in a secular democracy. It also serves a certain purpose, or a need to create that distance.

“But apparently it is easier for someone by the (Ashkenazi) name of Hurwitz to associat..”

Correction:

“But apparently it is easier for someone by the (Ashkenazi) name of Graubart…”

A.L. Bellsays:

April 26, 2010 - 9:51 am

“Why compare Benizri to the scary Iranian ayatolas? Wasn’t there a closer, more plausible kind of analogy to compare him to, like Pat Robertson?”

Because most of us here are Jewish, not Christian.

The point isn’t that there are people with absurd views in all of those other people’s religions; the point is that Jewish people — our people — also say what many of us here would hear as being absurd things in the name of religion.

They may not have as much power in Israel as the crazy ayatollahs do in Iran, but they clearly do have some power.

We request more and more people will make an email websites like this that are in truth taking read. With the thistledown floating nearly on the net, it’s uncommon to appear over a find like yours instead.

Confucius~ He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.

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